Abingdon Youth

By John Gocke

Romans 12:1-2

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

At a glance, porpoises look like fish because they have flippers and fins and swim in the water. But when you stop and examine porpoises, they resemble land mammals. Since they have lungs, they must often make contact with the surface to take in air for survival. And like dolphins, porpoises have horizontal flukes that facilitate their upward and downward movement. In contrast, caudal fins in fish are vertical and move side to side. (For more information, go to www.theporpoisepage.com)

We have all heard the term like a fish out of water. But for the porpoise we can say the opposite: They are a mammal in the water and thrive in it. What can we as Christians learn from this amazingly adapted animal? The porpoise did not give up breathing air, nursing its young, and having warm blood just because it lived in the ocean—the porpoise stayed a mammal.

Especially as youth leaders, we would have an easier time bonding with some youth if we took on their activities with them. Many youth leaders find that youth will relax and open up to them while playing the latest PlayStation® or computer-strategy game. Other kids like movies that are violent and have course humor or are entertained by professional wrestling. Although sharing activities with youth can bring them closer to you, it can also push them farther away from seeing you as a role model. A role model is a powerful thing according to the Apostle Paul when he said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

When you play games such as Grand Theft Auto (in which you run over innocent bystanders and solicit prostitutes), you are teaching youth that this violent and illicit behavior is OK. When you watch movies that degrade women and glorify murder (pick almost any box-office horror movie), you are saying that entertaining yourself with such things is OK. You are teaching youth not to breath the spiritual air Christians are meant to inhale but instead the water of this world, in which they will drown.

Paul said in Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.” These deceptions include violent and sexualized movies, video and computer games, songs, and TV shows, which are simply people’s anti-Christian philosophies, dressed up and made into a form that people will enjoy learning. They are, in essence, teaching tools. When you as the youth leader take part in that entertainment with your youth, you put a stamp of approval on the lessons it teaches.

Are you teaching your youth to be just another part of this world and partaking of all it has to offer, or are you teaching them to drown in the world’s destructive, life-taking water? We are not meant to grow gills but to keep respirating the air God has given us.

As youth leaders we should look into our lives and purge away things that distract us from holy priesthood and lead young minds astray. Do not let violent and degrading entertainment rob your ministry of the power and authority it could have.

I appeal to you . . . , brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12: 1–2)

John Gocke is a veteran of youth ministry, having worked in various churches in Southern California and for Al Menconi Ministries, based in Carlsbad, California. John holds an MA in Theology from Point Loma Nazarene University and currently works on the staff of www.ileadyouth.com.

Other articles by John Gocke:
Eleven Signs of a Successful Youth Minister.
Dealing with sharing your office.
Christian Pirates?
Saying what you really think!
Cures for the Summertime Attendance Slump
Going Back in Time
The Epic Struggle Between Youth Pastors and Senior Pastors
You and Conan the Barbarian
A King Josiah-Kind of Christian
Fantasizing About Violence: Violent Video Games Promote Aggressive Behavior In Youth
Chico the Roach
Are you a Batman or Superman Christian?
Ten Skills They Don’t Teach You in Seminary
Teach your youth grace-not just mercy this Christmas
Five reasons you should encourage your youth to experience Christian music
The Porpoise Driven Life
Welcome to the Masquerade!

Brought to you by your youth ministry colleagues at Cokesbury.

Would you like to submit your own article? Click here for our online form.